SFI 2008 Annual Conference:
Presentations
September 23: SFI Implementation Committees Meeting
Fred Cubbage, Professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Resources
Fred Cubbage presented recent research looking at the costs and impacts of forest certification.
September 24: Working Together to Build a Better, Stronger SFI
Kathy Abusow, President and CEO, SFI Inc.
Kathy Abusow said all those involved in the SFI program share the credit for the phenomenal growth and success. SFI Inc. will continue to promote its strengths, and is taking action to correct misinformation – including a blog to encourage an open debate. It will continue to promote the benefits of SFI certification for the print and paper industry, as well as focusing more on solid wood.
Michael Jenkins, President, Forest Trends
Forest Trends is a non-profit organization working to maintain and restore forest ecosystems by promoting incentives that diversify trade in the forest sector to a broader range of products and services. Michael Jenkins said forests are lost when other uses, such as oil wells or shopping malls, offer more value. It is important to increase the value of forest resources and ensure forests are managed sustainably. The forest sector can help shape new ecosystem markets for carbon, biodiversity, conservation and water.
Forest Trends: Katoomba Group’s Ecosystem Marketplace
September 24: The Driving Force for Wood Certification and the Green Building Market<
Greg Harden, President and CEO, Harden Furniture
Greg Harden said sustainability is the key difference between furniture manufacturers in North America and offshore. Consumers say green products are important, but they still buy on price – it is important to tell them what being green really means.
Mark Pawlicki, Director, Government Affairs, Sierra Pacific Industries
Mark Pawlicki discussed the growing demand for certified building products, and said it is imperative that the U.S. Green Building Council make LEED more inclusive.
Wayne Trusty, President, Athena Institute
Athena is a non-profit organization that provides life cycle assessment services and tools to support green building. Wayne Trusty talked about the value of life cycle assessment in measuring environmental benefits – and said it will eventually become part of LEED.
Terry Worthman, Chair, Minnesota SFI Implementation Committee, and Nathan Thompson, Executive Director, North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity
Terry Worthman and Nathan Thompson talked about the partnership that lead to a Habitat for Humanity home built with products and volunteers from many SFI-certified companies.
September 24: Labels, Claims and Communications – What the Market is Saying
Bruce Anderson, President, Harris/Decima
Bruce Anderson reviewed research showing that new environmentalism is more personal and more global – the current generation feels responsible for current global environmental threats.
Melissa Peneycad, Consultant and Client Services Manager, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing
Melissa Peneycad said at any given time, about 20 percent of the North American population is considered hard-core green – the greenest are most skeptical and want proof so eco-labels are helpful.
TerraChoice: The Six Sins of Greenwashing
Jason Metnick, Senior Director of Market Access and Product Labeling, SFI Inc.
Jason Metnick reported on work that resulted in three new SFI labels – fiber sourcing, chain of custody and a combination. Companies must conform to the new labeling by the end of 2009, or when stock is depleted.
Information about the labeling system is posted under Labels and Claims.
September 25: SFI Standard Development Session
Joe Lawson, Chair of the SFI Standards Review Task Group
Joe Lawson outlined the development process that will lead to the SFI 2010-2014 Standard. The first comment period has ended, and the second comment period begins Jan. 5, 2009. Rick Cantrell, Vice-President and COO, SFI Inc., summarized comments received to date, which are posted under Standard Development Process.
Dr. Wayne Clatterbuck, Professor of Silviculture and Forest Management
Dr. Jason Henning, Assistant Professor of Forest Biometrics and Quantitative Methods, University of Tennessee’s Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries
Dr. Wayne Clatterbuck and Dr. Jason Henning discussed results of a survey to determine how SFI program participants are dealing with performance measure 8.4, which says participants shall monitor the effectiveness of efforts to promote reforestation and best management practices.
Dr. Charles Tattersall Smith Jr., Dean of Forestry, University of Toronto
Dr. Tat Smith presented the results of an August 2008 SFI Inc. bioenergy workshop, which led to suggestions as part of the SFI Standard development process.
September 25: Driving Force for the Paper Certification Market
Derek Smith, Principal, Derek Smith & Associates LLC
Derek Smith said pulp and paper and printing have environmental importance because they use a lot of water, forest products and energy. The market is looking for leadership from organizations like SFI Inc.
Serenity Edwards, Director of Corporate Responsibility, The Direct Marketing Association
Serenity Edwards examined actions being taken by the Direct Marketing Association and its Green 15 environmental action program (which addresses paper, printing and packaging procurement, and encourages the use of certified forest products).
Direct Marketing Association: Environmental Resource Center
Tim Lundberg, Manager of Forest Certifications, Quad/Graphics Incorporated
Tim Lundberg said clients are looking for ways to promote positive marketing and avoid negative campaigns.
Glenn Ventrell, Director of Packaging, Innovation and Development, Sara Lee Corporation
Glenn Ventrell said SFI certification is an important part of Sara Lee’s sustainable packaging initiatives. Sara Lee is placing the SFI label next to the nutritional statement on its products. In addition, Sara Lee’s folded cartons will soon carry the SFI logo.
September 25: Climate Change and Carbon Market
Brian Kernohan, Manager of Wildlife and Forest Stewardship, Forest Capital Partners
Brian Kernohan said the SFI program is developing messages so program participants understand the emerging role of carbon and how it links to certification. This will be discussed during the standard development process.
PEFC Position Paper on Climate Change and Forest Certification
Jean-Pierre Martel, Senior Vice-President, Sustainability, Forest Products Association of Canada
JP Martel said the growing global economy means that even with efficiencies there will be increasing world demand for resources and more competition for land as a source of forest products, biomass for energy and food.
Evan Smith, Director of Forestry Projects and Northwest Field Representative, The Conservation Fund
The Conservation Fund is a national non-profit land and water conservation organization – its Forest Carbon Market is currently the largest seller of voluntary forest carbon offsets in the United States. Evan Smith said the Fund is working with conservationists to maintain private forestland in small undeveloped and vulnerable watersheds on the north coast of California.